Science Correspondent
Dr. Elena Vasquez reports on scientific discoveries, climate research, and emerging technologies. With a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley, she brings rigorous scientific understanding to her reporting on climate change, biodiversity, and sustainability. She is a fellow of the National Association of Science Writers.
NASA's Artemis I mission reached a pivotal moment Sunday night as Orion entered lunar orbit, facing 40 minutes of total communications blackout behind the Moon. Astronauts captured unprecedented views of the lunar far side while ground control held its breath until contact resumed.
German researchers have identified GPR133 as a critical regulator of bone density, with a compound called AP503 reversing osteoporosis-like bone loss in mice. The discovery opens the door to therapies that could rebuild bone strength long-term.
The four Artemis 2 astronauts marked Easter Sunday 230,000 miles from Earth, sharing holiday greetings and testing critical spacecraft systems ahead of Monday’s lunar flyby—the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman defended a 2027 budget proposal slashing the agency’s funding by nearly 25%, arguing the cuts maintain key exploration priorities. The proposal, released April 3, faces steep reductions in science and technology while accelerating Artemis moon missions with suppleme
The Artemis II astronauts marked Easter Sunday 220,000 miles from Earth with egg hunts and messages home. Monday, they’ll pass behind the moon, setting new distance records and testing Orion systems.
Fossils unearthed in China’s Yunnan province push back the emergence of complex animal life by 4 million years, revealing symmetrical creatures that predate the Cambrian explosion.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission delivered pristine asteroid Bennu samples in 2023. New nanoscale analysis shows water flowed through the 4.5 billion-year-old rock via restricted channels, preserving organic compounds critical to understanding early solar system chemistry and Earth's origins.
NASA’s Artemis II mission marks humanity’s return to lunar orbit for the first time since 1972, reviving cultural and scientific fascination with the Moon. Science writer Rebecca Boyle explores how this mission reshapes our understanding of Earth’s celestial companion.
The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission, now 100,000 miles from Earth, has released the first breathtaking images of our planet from inside the Orion spacecraft. These photos, taken during the 10-day lunar flyby mission, offer a historic glimpse of Earth from deep space ahead of humanity’s return to t
NASA’s FY 2027 budget proposal slashes the agency by 23% and NASA Science by 47%, threatening Artemis II, the Roman Space Telescope, and asteroid defense. The Planetary Society condemns the cuts as out of step with bipartisan congressional and public support for space exploration.
An international team of astronomers has identified SDSS J0715-7334, the most metal-poor star ever observed, formed just billions of years after the Big Bang. Using SDSS-V data and Magellan telescopes, the discovery reveals new clues about the universe's first stellar generations.
A fossil site in China’s Yunnan Province reveals complex animal groups existed 554–539 million years ago, pushing back the origins of vertebrates and starfish relatives by 4 million years before the Cambrian explosion.
On April 1–2, 2026, the 'Pink Moon'—April's full moon—illuminated skies worldwide, just hours before NASA launched four astronauts on the Artemis 2 mission to lunar orbit. The celestial event, named for North America's early spring phlox blooms, was photographed across continents, from Argentina to
Researchers have combined single-cell profiling of genome structure, histone marks, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression to reveal intricate gene regulation dynamics. This four-omics approach provides unprecedented insight into how DNA folding and epigenetic modifications control cellular id
NASA's Artemis II mission will fly around the moon during the sun's solar maximum, exposing astronauts to heightened solar radiation. Space physicist Patricia Reiff explains the risks, shielding strategies, and why this timing may actually reduce cosmic ray exposure.
The 2025 Global Physics Photowalk contest unveils breathtaking images from particle physics labs worldwide. Winning entries capture the intersection of human curiosity and scientific discovery, from cryogenic detectors hunting dark matter to neutrino telescopes buried deep underwater.
A Starlink satellite suffered an in-orbit anomaly in December 2025, breaking apart into multiple objects and forcing SpaceX to confirm a debris-generating event. Regulators and industry experts warn of growing collision risks as satellite constellations expand.
NASA’s XRISM spacecraft has detected winds exceeding 2 million mph blasting from the Cigar Galaxy M82, expelling gas equivalent to seven suns annually. The discovery challenges existing models of starburst galaxies and their role in galactic evolution.
April 10 brings the full pink moon, coinciding with the first launch window for NASA’s Artemis II mission. This historic four-astronaut flight marks the first crewed lunar voyage in 50+ years, set to orbit the moon while Indigenous communities celebrate the moon’s seasonal significance.
Scientists at the University of Michigan found that standard lab gloves likely skew microplastic pollution data by thousands of times. The contamination, traced to stearate salts in gloves, mimics microplastic signatures and inflates environmental reports.